Photograph
by orange sodap0p
Summary: They say pictures are worth one thousand words, but the memories are worth so much more. Snapshots of Kyo growing up through the ages.
1. The Photo Album

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fruits Basket.

**A/N:** Please read the longer note at the bottom for details in submitting chapter ideas!

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**Photograph**

_by orange sodap0p_

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_Thump._

A cloud of dust exploded into the air, causing a sudden fit of coughing. With eyes squeezed shut, one pair of hands waved at the offending cloud in an attempt to clear the air, but to no avail. The attic was small and cramped, and boxes stacked to the ceiling, which wasn't very high to begin with. The two occupants were forced to crouch down; it was impossible to stand full height.

The girl continued to cough into her hands, trying to breath in as little dust as possible. The little spasms shook her body, and the boy gave up waving at the air and crawled to the wall, pushing open the one, weather-worn window in hopes for a breeze.

The warm, spring air blew in, carrying the scent of cherry blossoms. The dust slowly filtered out, leaving the two teens with fresh air once more. Tohru picked up the book she clumsily dropped and wiped off the dusty cover. "Shisou-san sure hasn't been up here in a while!"

Kyo crawled back to where she sat on her knees. "Tch, I don't blame him. It's hot and cramped up here."

Tohru smiled and ran her hand across the book. Curiously, she opened it, greeted by a bunch of pictures of a small boy with large red eyes and orange hair. "Ah! Kyo-kun! Is this you?"

Kyo glanced at the photos. Sure enough, it was him. He looked young, perhaps five, his hair a lighter shade of orange, some strands looking almost blonde. There was one of him sleeping, one of him at the dojo, and one of him sitting atop his Shishou's shoulders. "Yeah, must be an album from when I first moved in with him." Leaving Tohru to flip through the photo album, Kyo peered inside the box Tohru found it in. There were a few other books in there too, most likely other photo albums.

Kazuma decided to clear out some of the items in his attic, and Kyo volunteered to help. He was surprised when Tohru wanted to come along as well. She said she didn't mind cleaning and liked visiting the house with Kyo. So, here they were, rummaging through old boxes in the attic.

Kyo stuck his hands in his pockets, finding them empty. "Tohru, do you have the sharpie?"

"Hm?" Tohru pulled her eyes away from the album. "Sharpie? Ah, yes, I have it!" She handed him the marker, watching him label the box "photo albums". She glanced back down at the little boy in the pictures. Kyo was a very cute child, and she had to admit he grew into a handsome young man. She blushed at her thoughts, and when Kyo turned around, she used the heat as an excuse. Fanning her face, she said, "It's hot up here."

Kyo smiled. "Then how about we take a break? Let's go down and get a drink."

Tohru opened her mouth to protest. "But we hardly started!"

He waved a hand. "Ah, that's okay. Shishou said he wanted to clear this stuff out and look, he dumped it on us. If he wants it done he can climb up here and do it himself." Making his way to the opening in the floor, Kyo said, "I'll climb down first, then help you, 'kay?"

With the grace only a cat could master, Kyo braced both hands on either side of the opening and swung himself down, lowering himself until his feet hit the step ladder. The mini ladder had a platform at the top so he could stand on it while Tohru climbed down.

"Kyo-kun?" Tohru called from the attic. "May I bring that photo album with me? I would like to look at it some more."

Kyo felt a blush spread across his face. It was just a bunch of pictures from when he was a kid. What was so special about that? "Yeah, sure, toss it down." He caught the album and with a thump, he tossed it to the floor.

Tohru peeked over the edge of the opening and saw Kyo waiting on the platform for her. Following the cat's example, she placed both hands on the sides and edged her body closer to the opening. "Careful," she heard him call. Nervously, she sat on the edge, her legs dangling off. Kyo made it look so easy to get down, but it looked so high... Taking in a deep breath, she shut her eyes and slid off the rest of the way. With arms shaking, Tohru tried to ease her way down, but..

"Ee!" Tohru squeaked as her grip slipped and her arms gave out.

Gasping, Kyo cursed under his breath and reached to catch her. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in, her arms flailing frantically.

_Poof! _

Tohru crashed to the floor, twisting her ankle and smacking her head on the stepladder. Dazed, she lay on the floor, hearing the sound of footsteps running up the stairs.

"Tohru? Kyo?"

Tohru blinked her eyes slowly, hearing Kazuma's concerned voice. Tohru lifted an arm, raising it to rub the side of her head. A knot already started to form where her skull connected with the ladder.

"Tohru," Kazuma knelt next to the girl. "Are you okay? What happened?" He reached a hand out to her, to pull her up.

She stared at his hand for a moment, but finally, she broke her stupor and started to reach for him until she felt something squirming underneath her. Eyes widening in shock, Tohru gasped, "Kyo-kun!"

Kazuma gently tugged Tohru to her feet to reveal the orange cat. Upon seeing Kyo sprawled across the floor, Tohru forgot about herself and entered panic mode.

"Kyo-kun! Kyo-kun! I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Kyo-kun!" Tohru sat next to the cat, but when she attempted to pick him up, he squirmed out of her grasp and padded across the floor, shaking out his legs as he went.

Circling back around, Kyo returned to his original spot, nudging his clothes, crawling under them until they hung from his back. Looking up at the worried girl, he said, "S'okay. You hurt?"

Tohru raised her hand to the bump on her head. "I think I'm fine. But you! I fell and you.." she trailed off, confused as Kyo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine, so don't worry. It was an accident, so don't worry."

Kazuma watched the scene with an amused expression. It was so rare for Kyo to show concern for anyone, but Kazuma noticed it became a growing habit anytime Tohru was involved. Then, noticing the photo album, he reached down and picked it up. "What's this old thing?"

"Oh!" Tohru turned her attention away from Kyo. "We found it in one of the boxes. There's a bunch of pictures of Kyo-kun in there from when he was little," a blush started to form across her cheeks, "I, uhm, I wanted to look through it."

Kazuma opened the album, a tender smile graced his features as he looked at the old photos. Flipping through the pages, he was hit with waves of nostalgia. "There's a lot of good memories in here, and stories to go with them." Gently closing the photo album, he looked to Tohru, "Why don't you come down for a snack and a drink, and I can tell you some?"

Simultaneously, Tohru eagerly nodded while Kyo let out a low groan. "Really Shishou? She doesn't need to hear about that..." Kyo trailed off, embarrassed. But he was too late, the pair had already started their decent down the stairs. Huffing to himself, he stayed around until the familiar _poof_ resounded, quickly dressed, and hurried downstairs in hopes of at least being able to moderate the stories his Shishou wanted to tell.

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**A/N:** The beginning of this was actually typed up years ago, and originally I wanted it to be a oneshot. But it would either just feel like it was missing out on some good content or become entirely too long for one story! So I decided to break this up so each photo/story is one chapter, kind of like drabbles, but really they can be any length. I'm not sure how many words a drabble actually is, so these may run longer, I don't know.

**But I need your help! **I honestly have no idea what Kyo may have done as a child XD I imagine he actually had it better off than most of the other zodiacs since he lived outside of the estate and Kazuma wanted to take real good care of him.

**So this is what I ask: **Do you have any funny or cute memories of your childhood? Ones that Kyo could possibly find a situation in? It's okay if it involves siblings or friends - I'm sure Kyo saw his cousins and other children at the dojo from time to time so it can work.

If interested in sharing a story (I figure this way it can be fun for everyone!) please tell it in a review or PM me directly :) I will leave credit to you in the chapter if your memory is used. (I say "if" only because I have no idea how many of you will share, and I may not get to write all of them.) Thanks so much! I look forward to hearing from you guys!


	2. First Lesson in Martial Arts

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fruits Basket.

**A.N:** Ahh! You guys are so amazing! I really had no idea what to expect, so I was surprised when I found a bunch of awesome and really cute ideas in my inbox! Thank you! It was hard picking which one to do first, but I'll definitely write them all :D And Hanna, I just want to take the time to say thank you personally, because I couldn't send a reply to your message. The leek idea is great :)

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**Photograph**

_- First Lesson in Martial Arts -_

_suggested by pinksugarrush_

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By the time Kyo entered the kitchen, he found Tohru making sandwiches, and soup already on the stove. He sat next to his Shishou, picking up the photo album. He opened it out of curiosity, quickly leafing through it to make sure there weren't any embarrassing pictures. Tohru didn't need to see him splashing around in a bathtub or something. Why did parents take photos like that,_ anyway_?

As Tohru brought the food over, Kyo snapped the album shut, gratefully accepting his plate. Tohru sat down across from him and picked up the photo book. While she munched on her sandwich, she happily flipped through the pages, her eyes focusing on each picture before moving to the next.

"You are so cute!" she suddenly blurted, finding a picture of him wrestling with Kunimitsu. Kyo was trying to pin the elder boy on the ground, his whole body wrapped around one of Kinumitsu's arms. "Even at a young age, you were strong!"

Kyo's face heated up and he turned away. "Don't be dumb, he was probably faking it."

Kazuma chuckled and stood, repositioning his chair to sit next to Tohru. She shifted the album so both of them could look. As she turned another page, she was met with many more pictures of a small Kyo in his martial arts uniform.

"That was his first week in the dojo," Kazuma explained. "He had so much energy, it only made sense to enroll him into the program." Gazing at the pictures, one in particular stood out to the older man. Smiling softly, he spoke the way only a proud father could. "That one," he said, pointing at one of Kyo standing with legs hip width apart. His elbows were bent at his sides, his little fists held out in front of him while an excited grin was plastered on his face. "Was the first time he put on his own karate gi."

Embarrassed, Kyo focused on his sandwich, pretending not to listen, though he did turn his head slightly to hear better as his adoptive father launched into the tale.

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The sleeves were slightly too long, so the cuffs were turned up to his wrists, but otherwise, the uniform fit little Kyo perfectly. Standing in front of the practice mirror, Kyo's mouth gaped open in genuine awe. Smoothing down the fabric, he asked his reflection, "This is really mine?" He never was allowed to have anything but bare necessities before.

His shishou nodded from behind him with a smile. "Yes, it is yours to wear and practice in. Do you like it?"

Kyo spun around, balling his hands into fists, declaring, "I never want to take it off!"

Laughing Kazuma ruffled his adopted son's hair. "I'm sure you will have to eventually. What happens when it gets dirty? Or will you bathe with it on, too?" he hid a smile behind his hand as he watched Kyo pause, cocking his head to the side, mouth slightly parted in thought.

"Well," the boy started, "I _guess_ I'll have to take it off from time to time," he compromised. Then suddenly he started punching into the air with spastic energy. "I'm going to be the best martial artist _ever_!" Without slowing down, Kyo continued to assault his imaginary enemy. "I'll even be able to beat that stupid Yuki and then no one will make fun of me anymore!" Cheering to himself, Kyo danced around on the practice mat, unaware of his Shishou's sudden concern at his words.

Kazuma watched Kyo move about, trying to mask his worry. He hated the way Kyo was treated for being cursed with the vengeful spirit of the cat. It wasn't his fault; Kyo didn't choose to be cursed. It saddened him every time his son mentioned his hate towards the rat child, but no matter what, he decided the day he adopted him, Kazuma would always support Kyo in his decisions. "Hey," he called, "Come here so I can show you the proper way to do that."

Ears perking, Kyo turned himself around, running back to his shishou. Kneeling, Kazuma brought himself down to Kyo's height and held out a fist. "Curl your fingers in so your knuckles are flat, and not at an angle."

Kyo tried mimicking the older man. "Like this?"

"Almost. Here," Kazuma reached out, taking Kyo's fist in his hand. Kyo let him readjust his fingers, watching attentively, trying to remember the way it felt to make a proper fist. "Now," Kazuma instructed, "You'll want to keep your arms at your side, and punch from there. If you pull your arm back, your opponent will see you coming, and either be able to block, or retaliate before you even get the chance to hit him." Slowly, so Kyo could see, Kazuma kept his arms at his sides before extended his right arm out while turning his wrist so his palm faced down. "As you strike, you want to turn your wrist like this."

Kyo nodded eagerly, then trying on his own.

Kazuma studied his movements carefully. "Very good! Now try it faster, and put your weight into it."

Soon enough, Kyo was jabbing at the air, his punches much faster and more powerful than his earlier bout of energy. He found himself circling around his shishou in a mock spar, and he brought his arms up to cover his face, just like how Kazuma was doing. He heard his adoptive father praise him as they continued to move around each other.

"Good, Kyo," Kazuma spoke. "Keep your arms up to guard your face and then strike from there. But always return your hands up to protect yourself," he guided. Playfully, Kazuma swatted at his son, testing Kyo's reflexes in dodging out of the way. He'd have to teach him how to block properly, but Kyo was holding his own fine, side stepping out of the way before trying to land a punch on his shishou. He recognized Kyo's potential, his movements natural and not jerky. He'd be a fast learner.

They continued their spar before Kyo eventually grew impatient, as his shishou blocked his punches, deflecting them to the side. Rearing back, he immediately charged forward, surprising his father. With a "oof!" Kazuma rocked unsteadily backwards as he was assaulted by a small blur of white and orange, and allowed Kyo to topple him to the ground. Climbing onto Kazuma's chest, he cheered, victorious.

"I win!" Kyo laughed, raising his arms above his head in triumph. Underneath him, Kazuma laughed, too. He laid there chuckling for a minute before an idea struck him. Reaching up, he began to tickle Kyo's sides. Squealing, the little boy brought his arms back down, trying to twist away from the attack in vain. Uncontrollable laughter rang out in the dojo as the two wrestled on the floor, and Kazuma knew without a doubt that his first lesson was a success.

After a while, they rolled to a stop, breathing heavily on the mat. And as if confirming Kazuma's earlier thoughts, Kyo spoke abruptly in between gasps for air. "Shishou, I want to do this everyday." Never in his five years of life had he ever had so much fun.


End file.
